More than 150,000 film fans have signed an online petition demanding a lower age rating for Harvey Weinstein’s new movie Bully. The movie mogul was outraged when censors at The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) slapped the documentary with a restrictive R rating, which bans young children from seeing it without their parents.

He argued kids need to watch Bully because of the sensitive issues involved, and Katy Butler, a high school student from Michigan, subsequently started a petition backing Weinstein’s age-rating plea.

The poll, posted on Change.org, has now received more than 150,000 signatures.

Butler, who was bullied herself, tells FOX411’s Pop Tarts column, “I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking American teenagers from seeing a movie that could literally save thousands of lives. The MPAA needs to give Bully a PG-13 so the students being bullied and bullies themselves can see this film and schools can show it as well.

“It’s awful. Everyone either gets bullied or is a bully. We need to change this, and showing this film is one way of doing that.”

Weinstein recently revealed stars including Lady Gaga and Johnny Depp had reached out to him in support of his Bully campaign.